The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1887-05-02
Popular Science.

Paraffine should never be heated above the
temperature of boiling water; at higher
temperature it is partially decomposed and
its resistance diminished
The Electrical RerieiO gives the following
formula for a cement for objects which have
| to be heated: Iron filings, 100 parts; clay,
80 parts, common salt, 10 parts; quartz sand,
20 parts.
German builders use a mixture of cork,
sand and lime nodded into bricks for the
construction of light partition walls. They
say it excludes sound better than brick work,
is light and non-conductor of heat.
The Electrical ReUjelU gives the following
as a lining metal superior to ''babbitt:"
Melt iii a crucible one and half pound of
copper, and while this is melting get a big
ladle and melt twenty-five pounds of tin and
three of anthony; heat it red hot and pour
the two together and stir till thoroughly
mixed.
An artificial ivory of creamy whiteness
and great hardness is now made from good
potatoes washed in diluted sulphurie acid
then boiled in the same solution until they
become solid and dense They are then
washed free of the acid and slowly dried
This ivory can be dried and turned and
made useful in many ways.-Aailafdctur
erS' Gazette.
The curious 'canals' on the surface of
Mars are like nothing else known, and still
remain unexplained They are seen as
nearly straight lines, and appear like cut
tings, with parallel sides, extending from
sea to sea across the planets. They are
about fifteen miles wide. They were dis
covered a few years ago by Schiaparelli, an
Italian astronomer, and their existence has
since been confirmed by several other OBJ
servers.
The true French polish is one pint of
spirits of wine added to a quarter of an
ounce of gum copal, the same of gum arabic
and one ounce of shellac. This polish is used
for plain wood that has been stained in
imitation of natural wood. The principle
of action is the floating with oil the gummy
or resinous substances into the pores, and
bringing the polish up by rubbing. The
simplest varnish is a solution of shellac
dissolved in naphtha. and Fur
TiSher.
Some observations made in France by NJ,
Cosson may throw light upon many mysteri-
Gus fires In one instance spontaneous
firing arose from an air current heated at
II f. only The wood slowly carbonized
at that temperature, and being thus renderd
extremely porous a rapid absorption of
oxygen resulted, and sufficient heat was
then produced to intiAne the dry material.
In another case the warmth from the air
a
the wood work.
A novel application of electricity is shown
in pharmacy at Berlin. To prevent mis-
takes in dispensing medicines each bottle
which contains highly deletorious or poison
Gus drugs is made by its own weight to hold
open a circuit closer connected with bat
terry and vibrating bell The weight Of the
battle being removed the push button be-
meath it rises by the force OF spring and
contact is made. or course, when the
customer and the clerk both hear the warn
ing bell attention is at once called to the
label, and an error may thus be corrected
before it is too late.
AS a finish or covering for walls and cell
ings pulverized steatite is coming into use
quite satisfactory. 1t is simply soapstone.
It takes high polish, is pearl gray in tint,
is said TO present the best possible surface
tor painting, either in oil or water-color,
and, what is very desirable, will neither
crack nor chip IL Is claimed for it..that it is
non-conductor and non-absorbentJ that it
can be washed without injury; nails can be
driven into it without damage. When sub
ject to heat, moisture and chemical fumes
it gives no smell, and IL docs not turn yell
low with age. II Is thought to be specially
adapted for hospitals, factories, cellars,
markets, etc